Dallas / PSU DB Gives Cincy The Game Tonight!
- Thread starter ILLINOISLION
- Start date
What a play. These guys are professionals, yet they still make plays like that.
Clearly a mistake but given the situation I think the call for a punt block was typical
McCarthy stupidity. Cincy backed up and 4th and 20 something. There are 2 minutes left in a tie game, have all 3 TOs left, one of the better punt returners and one of the best place kickers with probably the longest leg in the league. So instead of setting up for a return and getting good field position the buffoon once again permits his buddy John Fassel convince him to go for a punt block and run the risk of a roughing the kicker penalty which would have given the Bengals a first down. Again it was a stupid play but far less risk in simply letting the punter kick the ball and getting good field position
Dallas only had 5 men rushing the punter.
They didn't do anything particularly designed to block the punt (they had five guys dropping back off of the LOS to set up the blocking for a return.)
The Cowboy in the middle of the alignment ran straight past his blocker - and none of the personal protectors bothered to even give him a passing glance - so he ran right up the gut to the punter and blocked the kick.
The punt was blocked, so how can you say it was stupidity? The fact that a Dallas player touched it downfield had nothing to do with the blocked punt. It was a great call and they would have had great field position.
FWIW:
Something very similar happened in the PSU/OSU game in 2016 (Amari O was a member of that team, of course, though I don't think he figured into the play directly)
Earlier in the 4th quarter (before the blocked field goal), PSU blocked a punt (It was Cameron Brown who blocked it).
Like last night, it was also on a play where they were setting up the return - with only a token rush.
Troy Apke made the huge mistake (ala last night's game) of trying to pick up the blocked kick (in this case, just a few yards past the LOS). He did fumble it - which would have given the ball back to OSU..... but the OSU player didn't make a clean recovery, and Apke got back on the ball for a "no harm no foul".
If he hadn't, the Marcus Allen/Grant Haley blocked FG, scoop, and score, woulda' never been a thing.
Fifth video clip in the series:
Penn State 24-21 Ohio State (Oct 22, 2016) Video Highlights - ESPN
Something very similar happened in the PSU/OSU game in 2016 (Amari O was a member of that team, of course, though I don't think he figured into the play directly)
Earlier in the 4th quarter (before the blocked field goal), PSU blocked a punt (It was Cameron Brown who blocked it).
Like last night, it was also on a play where they were setting up the return - with only a token rush.
Troy Apke made the huge mistake (ala last night's game) of trying to pick up the blocked kick (in this case, just a few yards past the LOS). He did fumble it - which would have given the ball back to OSU..... but the OSU player didn't make a clean recovery, and Apke got back on the ball for a "no harm no foul".
If he hadn't, the Marcus Allen/Grant Haley blocked FG, scoop, and score, woulda' never been a thing.
Fifth video clip in the series:
Penn State 24-21 Ohio State (Oct 22, 2016) Video Highlights - ESPN
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It cost Dallas the game…. his beers are on me!I saw it live. Damn it. I feel awful for Oruwariye.
Uh because one of the risks of a blocked punt which can go anywhere and bounce in any direction is precisely what happened here. Given the fact that Turpin is one of the best punt returners and the fact that Dallas would have gotten good field position, all 3 of their timeouts and one of the most accurate FG kickers who probably has the longest range in the league I disagree.
So because someone on the Dallas special teams unit made a mistake, it was a stupid call? That makes sense.
It wasn’t a called punt block, look at how many they rush. It’s just that he ran right up the middle and nobody touched him. Fluky play bad bounce sucks for our guy, but watch the film
What do the ANALYTICS. 
say about blocking a punt in this situation?
say about blocking a punt in this situation?
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I saw the play live. Like I said, it was clearly a mistake by the Cowboys' player but my simple point is that there was far less risk in simply letting the punter kick the ball to one of the best punt returners in the league and get good field position with 2 minutes left, all your time outs and one of the most accurate place kickers with probably the longest leg in the league on your roster. It didn't happen but I have seen far too many times when a Cowboys' punt block attempt results in a roughing the kicker penalty which in this case would have given the Bengals an automatic first down on a 4th down and more than 20 situation.